The present invention relates to a coaxial connector for connecting a coaxial cable to electrical equipment or the like. More particularly, it relates to a coaxial connector whose central contact makes resilient contact with a central conductor of a coaxial cable to establish electric connections between the connector and the cable without the use of solder and without the need to trim the central conductor after connecting.
Referring to FIG. 12, it is customary in the prior art to connect a coaxial cable 104 and a coaxial connector 100 by soldering the tip of a central conductor 105 to a plug pin 103. A clamping part 107 clamps a shielded conductor 106 that surrounds central conductor 105.
The following is a brief description of a prior art procedure for connecting coaxial connector 100 to coaxial cable 104. To begin with, plug pin 103, ultimately serving as a central contact, is forced into an insulating housing 102. An external contact 101 is slid over and fixed to insulating housing 102. Then, central conductor 105 of coaxial cable 104 is prepared by stripping and exposing a long portion of central conductor 105 and stripping and exposing a much smaller portion of shielded conductor 106. The stripped forward end portion is inserted into plug pin 103 and passes through a hole 108. Shielded conductor 106 is clamped by clamping part 107. Clamping part 107 electrically connects shielded conductor 106 to external contact 101. Coaxial cable 104 is also clamped by clamping part 107 along with shielded conductor 106, and hence it is fixed to coaxial connector 100.
Central conductor 105 is soldered to the tip of plug pin 103. The portion of central conductor 105 projecting out of hole 108 is trimmed away. Next, an insulating cover 109 is mounted on the connector assembly with a contact piece 110 of external contact 101 protruding through a cutout (not shown) in insulating cover 109. The above is atypical prior art procedure to connect coaxial connector 100 to coaxial cable 104.
With the conventional coaxial connector it is necessary to solder central conductor 105 to the tip of plug pin 103. After soldering, it is also necessary to cut off the portion of central conductor 105 that projects beyond hole 108. The soldering and cutting requirements complicate the assembly of a prior art coaxial connector to a coaxial cable and hence increases manufacturing costs. It also increase the time it takes to assemble the coaxial connector in the field. In addition, such solder joints are a frequent cause of poor connections.